The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-12-16

cntse, LOT tnefe WAS no lnulcduiOu Oh IOi-
lowing train that we could perceive
There was no danger OF being seen In the
opening of our door, for the rapid flight OF
the train would have attracted all the at
teation that anything upon the car could
Andrews scarcely looked ahead while
making this run. Brown and Knight,
however, did keep a sharp lookout, sim
ply for the purpose of seeing when we
came near the station that they might
shut off steam and be able to stop there.
They had no hope of reversing or stop
ping, il they saw the belated passenger
train approaching. AS we'll try To reverse
a cannon ball in its flight III the train had
started out from Calhoun before we came
in sight, it was simply and inevitably
death for every one of us; and the people
of the other train would not have Jared
much better
Our fireman, j. A. Wilson, very graph
ically describes this fearful effort to con.
quer time:
'Our locomotive was under full head
of steam. The engineer stood with his
hand on the lever, with the valve wide
open. 1t was frightful to see how the
powerful iron monster under us would
leap forward under the revolutions of her
great wheels. Brown would scream to
me ever and anon, Give her more wood,
Alf,' which command was promptly
obeyed. She rocked and reeled like
drunken man, while we tumbled from
side to side like grains of popcorn in hot
frying pan. 1t was bewiklering to look at
the ground or objects on the roadside. A
constant stream of fire ran from the great
wheels, and to this day l shudder az 1 re-
fleet on that, my first and last locomotive
ride. We sped past houses, stations and
fields and out of sight. almost like
meteor, while the bystanders, who scarce
ly caught glimpse of us as we passed.
looked on as il in both fear and amaze
ment. 1t has always been awonder to me
that our locomotive and cars kept the
track at all, or how they could possibly
stay on the track. At times the iron
horse seemed literally to fly over the
course, the driving wheels of one side
being lifted from the rails much of the
distance over which VIC now sped with a
velocity fearful to contemplate. We took
little thought of the matter then"
Andrews kept his watch in his hand,
seeming to notice nothing else, for time
was the only element in this part of our
problem, and he and Knight, who looked
on the same watch, always joined
in declaring that the interval of
nino miles between the two stations
was run in seven and half minutes;
and this not upon magnificent road
with steel rails, as that road is today,
but over poor and neglected trackl 1t
must, in candor, however, be allowed that
Andrews probably reckoned tho interval
from losing sight of Adairsville until
coming in sight Of Calhoun. When near
the two stations he would be otherwise
no 10
little over u mile q minute-surely enough
for all the fear, wonder and sublimity of
motionl
Our escape on this run was exceedingly
narrow. The passenger train had begun
to move out before we arrived but it had
only just got under way while we were
slackening up for the station. A minute
earlier in their starting would have ended
the raid. But seeing us coming, and our
whistle sounding out loud and peremp-
tory, they backed before us up the track,
and the proper officer Obligingly opened
the switch to let us on the side track OF
course this was done as much in the in
terest Of the passenger train, which could
not go on till we were out of the way, "a
IN ours.
But they did not go on for some time
and we weresobliged to await taeir move
ments. In backing they had gone far
enough, not only to give us room on the
side track, but also, as their train was o
long one, to completely block the far end
of it, and we could not proceed on the
main track until they should pull ahead.
Before doing this they naturally wanted
some explanation. The lateness of the
regular train; our having Ful,nr's engine,
without him or any of his men; and not
least, the manner in which VIC had
swooped down upon them like some beast
of prey, coming without any signal man
ahead at time when under railroad rules
they were entitled to the road-all this.
which only some most urgent occasion or
public calamity could excuse, called for
explanation. Andrews calmly told his
story, and the urgent need of ammunition
was felt to justify everything; and all the
questions were asked and answered that
arc common among railroad men on meet
ing Yet Andrews would have talked
little and would have made very short
stop, had 1t not been for the manner IL
which tho passenger train bound in his
own. We had good right to be uneasy
here, for we had not cut the wires between
this station and Adairsville because we
had not dared, in the terrible urgency of
reaching Calhoun, TO delay even for this
purpose. A question might come on the
wires at any moment which Andrews,
with all his adroitness, would not find it
easy to answer. Neither had we put any
distractions on the track. This latter
omission prepared the way for another
race against time, only less swift and fear
full than our own.
Thus we were again delayed. Andrews
tried gentle and indirect means to per-
suade the conductor of the passenger train
that it was perfectly safe for him to run
down and get to Adairsville before Full
ler's passenger train. But he was not
easily persuaded. The bare escape from
collision with our train had shaken his
nerves too much for him TO wish at once
to repeat the experience. Neither did he
seem at all in q hurry to move his train
ahead and let us out on the main track;
but MS his train was the only obstacle, it
would not have been long, had he contin-
ucd obstinate, until the reserve force of
our party would have been brought into
requisiton. it may be said here that An
drews WAS perfectly sincere in telling him